Aston Villa 4 Newcastle United 1

EVEN Aston Villa's inconsistency is inconsistent as, amid all the controversy of Premier League games being played abroad, their first-half display belonged over the road at Aston Park and their second could have graced the Giants Stadium, Sydney's Stadium Australia or the Tokyo Dome.

EVEN Villa's inconsistency is inconsistent as, amid all the controversy of Premier League games being played abroad, their first-half display belonged over the road at Aston Park and their second could have graced the Giants Stadium, Sydney's Stadium Australia or the Tokyo Dome.

Partly through Newcastle's extraordinary generosity - had their back four and goalkeeper worked in a restaurant the customer would have asked for burger and chips and been served a main course of Angus beef, Bearnaise sausage and aubergine cannelloni with snails.

And partly through the half-time introduction of Marlon Harewood, Martin O'Neill's side once again sent out a clear message that, incredibly at such an advanced stage of the season, fourth place is not yet out of their reach.

To think that O'Neill's side were truly stuttering towards the end of the season when they exited the field at half-time to a light chorus of boos.

They were struggling against a lively Newcastle, still searching for a first win under Kevin Keegan after two draws and two defeats, but who deserved their interval lead courtesy of Michael Owen's early header.

Fresh debate was set to be sparked about O'Neill's disappointing failure to add to already limited numbers in January and his surprising exclusion of Harewood, who had looked a safe bet to partner John Carew in the absence of injured top scorer

Gabriel Agbonlahor. The fact that the first half came on the back of arguably their worst display of the season at Fulham and mediocre show against Blackburn didn't help either.

But suddenly, and almost without warning, Villa clicked.

Four unanswered goals rattled in in front of the Holte End - one from Wilfred Bouma, his first after 75 barren matches, and three from the Norwegian Carew, who joined a very small and select band of Villa players to have scored a hat-trick in the Premier League.

Villa Park had not seen a hat-trick by a home player since Benito Carbone put Leeds United to the sword in the FA Cup in January 2000.

It had been a while since Chris Sutton's treble at Villa Park in August 1997 - three goals in 20 first-half minutes - in the league.

It had been even longer since Savo Milosevic scored three against Coventry City in 32 second-half minutes in December 1995 - two headers and a deft flick - Villa's last hat-trick on home turf in the Premier League.

Carew joined just half-a-dozen players who have netted in the Sky-orientated newly-reformed top flight, following Dean Saunders (Swindon), Tommy Johnson (Wimbledon), Milosevic (Coventry), Dwight Yorke (Newcastle), Dion Dublin (Southampton) and Luke Moore (Middlesbrough). He will never have a simpler treble.

Within five minutes of the restart Villa were 2-1 up and Newcastle had lost goalkeeper Shay Given to a groin strain.

Bouma's soft shot deflected off Habib Beye, and as Given's studs gave way in the turf, the ball bobbled past the Irishman into the net.

Then Ashley Young's corner met the back of Carew's head leaving the visitors looking bemused and bedraggled.

Stand-in keeper Steve Harper made two outstanding stops from Craig Gardner, the first at his near post and the second from a truly remarkable long-range volley that smacked against Harper's face - before he too fell victim to more kamikaze defending.

Another corner caused panic, the ball pinballed across the penalty area, took a deflection off Harewood, was nodded against Carew by Nicky Butt and into the net it went.

Steve Carr decided, somewhat ridiculously, to flip the ball away from Carew with his hand in his own area and the big striker thundered home the spot-kick with an aura of magnificence.

Villa could have won far more convincingly had they been awarded a first-half penalty when Gareth Barry's shot hit Joey Barton's arm in the area. That same arm was, allegedly, smacking into Shaun Maloney's face later on which could lead to an FA charge.

Carew was denied by a fine Given save from Young's free-kick but eventually, just as the Randy Lerner era at Villa got off to a successful start with a win over Newcastle last season, the bandwagon continued to roll on and on against a bogey side who they had previously only beaten three times in 14 home Premier League fixtures.